Free Lucas: Origins Of A Demon by N.P. Martin Page A

recognizes immediately as a Watcher knife, a blade made for killing demons. “Now where would you get a knife like that?” Lucas asks Dimitri.
    Dimitri runs the edge of the blade across the suspended demon’s chest, causing bright orange light to seep from the wound along with the blood of the human body the demon has possessed. “Where do you think?” he says. “Some time ago, I killed one of those Watcher bastards and stole his knife. It has come in handy since.”
    “I can see that,” Lucas says, looking at the demon hanging upside down. “What did this guy do to offend you?”
    Dimitri shakes his head. “Motherfucker tried to sell me out to a couple of bounty hunters from the Kill or Capture Sect.”
    The Kill or Capture Sect is an organization that Lucas knows well, as he availed of their services on numerous occasions during his forced residency in Hell. As the name suggests, the sect chases down rouge demons for a price. Captures cost more than killings, though most often the sects clients want their target dead, or at least destroyed and sent to the Body Shop. For a demon like Dimitri, who is on the run from Hell, the sect would be under orders from the King of Hell himself to capture Dimitri and bring him back for punishment. When it comes to deserters, no other outcome will do.
    “Okay,” Lucas says. “Any chance you can just put this guy on the down elevator so we can talk?”
    Dimitri gives Lucas a look. “Are you crazy? I’m only just getting started with this sludgecock. By the time I’m finished with this piece of shit, he will be begging me to send him back to Hell.”
    “Can you at least take a break then?”
    “We can talk here. It’s not like I have much of a crew left after you destroyed most of them.”
    Lucas looks around the space inside the warehouse, sees only a couple of demons sitting in a sparsely furnished area watching porn on a large screen TV. “I’m sure you will build your crew up again. I’m counting on it in fact.”
    After Dimitri cuts the suspended demon again--a long, torturous slice on the demon’s inner thigh, causing the helpless demon to scream so hard Lucas winces at the sound--he says, “Counting on it? Why is that?”
    “I have some trouble coming my way soon,” Lucas says. “Mercenaries.”
    “Mercenaries? Working for whom?”
    If Lucas tells Dimitri the truth, that he is being hunted by Grand Duke Leonard’s personal guards, Dimitri will want nothing to do with Lucas, which would be a wise decision on his part. Leonard is one of the most powerful demons in all of Hell. Crossing the old snake would not be the smartest thing to do, even though that’s exactly what Lucas did. “I made a few enemies in Hell. One of them wants revenge.”
    Dimitri nods. “Which one?”
    “No one you would know.”
    “Try me.” Dimitri approaches Lucas, the Watcher knife in his hand dripping with blood.
    “Feroxis.”
    “Never heard the name.”
    “I didn’t expect you to. He’s a president in one of the lower levels. Not well known, but powerful nonetheless.”
    “And what did you do to piss this demon off?”
    “Damaged his reputation. Made him look like a fool.” Kind of what he did to Leonard actually.
    “I see.” Dimitri goes back to his torture victim and cuts of the penis from off the possessed body. The demon squeals like a stuck pig, causing Lucas to wince again, especially when Dimitri sticks the dismembered penis into the demon’s mouth. “Shut up!”
    “Can I count on your support?” Lucas asks.
    “That depends,” Dimitri says, licking the blood from the blade. “What do I get in return?”
    “What is it you want?”
    Dimitri smiles. “A favor, one that I can call in at any time.”
    “What kind of favor?” Lucas does not like owing favors to anyone, nor being in debt in any way. It undermines the power of his position. But with little resources available to him at present, Dimitri is the only one who can provide him with much needed